Improved railway-car coupling



J. S. M'ERRIKEN. Car Coupling.

- Patented Oct. 19, 1869.A

l/VI/EA/7`0/?f MJ N-IPETERS, FHoTo-LTMOGRAPHER wAswNaToN n c waited Stent ate-nt dtiiiitr.

J. S. MERRIKEN, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND WILLIAM GOLTON, Ol? SAME' PLACE.

Letters Potent No. 96,070, dated October 19, 1869.

IMPROVED RAILWAY-CAR COUPLING'.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it 'may concern Be it known that I, J. S. MERRIKEN, of Baltimore,

in the county of Baltimore, and in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Coupling; and do hereby declare that t-he following is a full, clear, and exact ydescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specication.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and general arrangement of a self-acting car-coupling, which, when coupled, can be locked so that it will be impossible to uncouple of itself.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains, to make and use the' same, I will'now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawiu gs, in which- Fignre 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the entire car-coupling, and l Figure 2 is a plan view of the cmxpling-link.

A represents the bumper or head of a coupling-bar, which is in its inner or rear end, at the bott-om, provided with a recess, in which the rear` end of the coupling-link is placed, and thereby held in a horizontal position.

The coupling-lilik B consists of a flat metal bar, of suitable dimensions, its rear end being rounded, as seen in fig. 2, and provided on each side with a spring, C, which project forward and outward, bearing against the sides of the head A, when the link is inserted, so as to allow, or rather force the link to resume its position at right anglesY with the head, after having turned a curve.

At a suitable point inv the rearporlon of the link B is a hole, through which the coupling-pin I) is passed, and in front of said hole, across the upper side of the link,'there isa curved rib or projection, E.

In front of this rib the link is forked, as 4shown in fig. 2, the front ends being provided with hooks, a a, on their upper side.

The outer or front sides of these hooks are rounded, while their rear sides are bevelled toward the front from :1: to y. I

The coupling-pin D, which passes through the head A and the hole in the link-B, is provided with a shoulder or` collar, b, that rests on top of the' link.

A small tubeor bushing, d, is then passed over the coupling-pin I), and screwed into the top ofthe head A, so that the pin, on account of the collar b, cannot be withdrawn, and consequently the coupling -link cannot be lost, as is now too often the case.

The inner end of the opposite bumper or head A is inclined, as seen in iig. l, and on its upper side is placed a tube or bushing, F, through which the coupling-pin G passes into the head.

Ata suitable point near the middle of the pin G are screw-threads, on which is screwed the block H.

The rear side of this block is inclined from :c toz, to correspond with-the inclines of the hooks c a.

The upper end of the pin G is also provided with screw-threads, on which is placed a screw-wheel, I.

When the cars are to be coupled, the curved ends of the hooks c c strike the outer side of the block H, and raise the same, with the piu G, until the forked end of the link B has passed far enough into the head A' to allow the block H to fall down 0n the same, and the hooks (t a catch on the inclined rear side of' the block H.

By means of the screw-Wheel I, the pin G and block H' may be raised so as to'aecommodate cars of different height; and to uncouple the cars, the piu G, with its block, must be raised up in the bushing F until the hooks can clear the block.

It will be seen, that should the block H turn to either side within the head A', this will not interfere with the coupling.v

In the rear side of the bushing F is placed a setscrew, J, provided at its outer end witha lever, L, so arranged that when turned to one side, the inner end of the screw J will pass into a notch made in the upper screw-portion ofthe pin G, locking the same in such a manner that the piu cannot be raised to uncouple the cars.

l When the lever L is turned to the other side, the screw J will pass out of this notch, and the cars may ybe uncoupled.

' Having thus fully describedA my invention,

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The coupling-pin D, provided with a collar, b, and passing through a tube or bushing, d, in tlfe top of the bumper, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The coupling-link B, constructed as described, with its rear end rounded, and provided with springs C C, and its front end forked,and provided with hooks a a, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The block H, constructed as described, and screwed on to the coupling-pin G, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth. v

4. The coupling-pin G, passing through the bushing F, and having a screw-wheel I at its upper end,-

aud the block H screwed on at ornear its middle, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

5. The set-screw J, and lever L, arranged as described, aud operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth. A

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto setiny hand, this 28th day of August, 1869.

J.. S.. MERRIKEN.

Witnesses:

` C. M. ALEXANDER,

J. IWI. MASON. 

